It was a sad week last week as Middle School students said goodbye to their Mirabal host sisters from Madrid, Spain. Holton girls hosted students from Spain, as part of Holton's Global Education program. The girls were involved in a two-week linguistic and cultural exchange program with girls from Mirabal School. Girls from Mirabal shadowed their host sisters, participated in Holton classes, and visited Washington, D.C. popular tourist attractions.
The two-week exchange program allowed Holton girls to practice Spanish with their host sisters and in exchange each Mirabal girl had a chance to practice English and experience life here in Maryland. The girls thoroughly enjoyed the experience as both Holton and Mirabal students exchanged ideas, friendship, and culture with one another.
One of the Mirabal girls shared her thoughts on the time she spent here: "The whole experience is brilliant because you become closer to your Mirabal classmates, you learn about a different culture, and you make friends with a girl your age in another country!"
Another Mirabal girl shared the same positive sentiment, "People at Holton treat me really well and I am really thankful. The girls are all very kind, polite, funny... it was sad to say goodbye to them. Teachers are also nice too . . . I feel really comfortable with my host sister, we always had something to talk about. I also love the city. The monuments, the different museums, the restaurants. We went to places like the National Mall, the White House, Hard Rock Cafe, Ford's Theatre, Alexandria, and many other places."
It was a successful exchange program for everyone involved and as one of the girls shared, "I wish that the people coming next year enjoy this journey as much as I did."
